The feeder of the present invention was invented for the purpose of feeding a pet animal, and is especially adapted to that purpose, although its utility is not restricted to pet feeding. However, it differs radically from automatic feeders in the past, which have generally been designed for farm animals, or for pet animals kept in a kennel, rather than in the home of the pet owner.
Most of the feeders of the past have been designed for the feeding of a number of animals, and have made delivery upon some demand action of the animal, or by consumption of the food. The present feeder delivers an exactly predetermined amount of food, suitable for one animal or perhaps for two or three animals accustomed to eat from the same dish.
Animal feeders heretofore known do not make a freshly prepared batch of food at each feeding interval. Instead the feeder is loaded with prepared food; this restricts the food which may be used, or if perishable food is used, it becomes stale within the feeder at each successive day. The feeder of the present invention makes use of dehydrated food granules, which have become a standard type of high quality food for animal pets. These granules may be mixed with water to produce a fresh-tasting food portion. Obviously, some liquid component other than water, may be used as the liquid food component. For example, a water solution of certain nutrients, salts, etc., might be suitable for a particular type of pet animal.
The feeder of the present invention is intended to be left unattended, as the animal's only source of food and water for several days. The feeder of the present invention achieves much higher standards of reliability of operation than has been required or found in previously known feeders intended to be used with a human attendant in daily attendance.
In the feeder of the present invention, the food pellets or granules required for several days are already stored in the feeder, and separated into individual daily batches. Moreover, these batches are stored within the upper part of the feeder, the hoppers being disposed about the axis of a rotating system, so that only a small angle of rotational advancement is required for delivery of each sucessive food batch.
The drive motor and timing system are securely enclosed below the rotatable system of pre-portioned feed batches. The motor load is very small, and periods of motor operation are very short; consequently, electrical failure is extremely improbable, provided the power supply line is shielded from accidental disconnection by the animal pet itself.
Delivery of each feed batch is by a simple gravity system. The entire bottom of each food batch hopper is a hinged flap, which falls into an open position, when the individual hopper advances to a food delivery chute opening. The feed chute is substantially vertical, since it descends directly from below the food hopper rotating system, through the motor compartment of the feeder, to the feeding location.
In the preferred form of the invention, a reliable water supply is provided in a drinking trough and reservoir which is located in the lowest part of the feeder, and provides substantially stabilizing weight.
The feeder is constructed to be substantially pet-proof, for pets other than the primates. The feeding dish and water trough cannot be removed by a dog or cat, and the feeder itself is stable against being knocked over, except by animals much larger and heavier than the average household pet.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following description of a preferred specific embodiment, which description should be read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the feeder, showing both the food dish and the drinking water trough;
FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view, as viewed at a vertical plane through the vertical axis of the food delivery system, as indicated by the arrows 2--2 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the feeder of FIGS. 1 and 2, but with the cover removed from the food delivery system to reveal the hopper rotor, and the eight sectorial hoppers comprised in said rotor;
FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional detail view of one of said hoppers, and adjacent parts of the food delivery system, as viewed from the outer cylindrical surface indicated in FIG. 3 by the arrows 4--4;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the hopper rotor, with a portion of the outer cylindrical wall broken away to reveal the bottom flap of one hopper;
FIG. 6 is a detail perspective view showing the drive shaft and bearing by which rotational drive is transmitted from the motor to the hopper rotor;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the base with the automatic food delivery system removed to reveal the drinking water trough and the food dish;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the drinking water trough, and of the float-controlled water supply valve; and
FIG. 9 is a wiring diagram for the circuit employed in the operation of the feeder.